What is wrong with Alexa?

I did not pay attention to Amazon Echo and Goggle Home until people at work purchase them and praise how cool these “smarthome” devices are. After understanding the function of these devices, I have decided to never purchase one for my family.

First of all, we do not use wifi at home because we fully understand the danger of wireless technology. We try to minimize our exposure to the damaging radiation emitted by these tiny devices as much as possible, which is a daunting task these days where free wifi and smartphones are ubiquitous.

Secondly, I do not want these devices to constantly “spy” on our conversations and collect our private information. Every question that I ask Alexa would be recorded and stored in Amazon’s cloud storage, subject to big data mining and analysis. The result would be constant bombardment of “tailor-made” advertisements and personal shopping “advice” following me everywhere I turn. In the end, Amazon or Goggle would know more and better about me than I know myself. I definitely want to avoid that.

Moreover, I do not view these devices as “smart”. To describe them as “smart” is deceptive and misleading at best . In my opinion, all the internet of things/smart devices will eventually dumb us down and enslave us. Why can’t a person just walk a few steps and turn off the basement light? Instead, he would tell Alexa to turn them off for him while he remains on the couch.

When we start getting all the answers from Alexa, we begin to “trust” the device without giving it a second thought and we stop using our intellect to research and analyze problems. Whatever Alexa (i.e. Amazon) says would become our source of authority and truth. Naturally, the technocrats (Goggle, Amazon, Facebook ,etc…) would one day dominate all aspects of the society and become our masters. And yet, we willingly give up our freedom for a little convenience.

I welcome technology, with great caution. Sometimes however, I wonder if the progress of modern technology has truly benefit the human race. With the inventions of electric stoves, machines, robots, AI, smart phones, we suppose to have more time to enjoy our lives. Instead, everybody is busier than ever. People are glued to their smartphone and tablets on the road, in the restaurants and around family tables. The society is actually falling apart with our young generation incapable of expressing themselves with their mouths and body languages; instead they have to text one another. Our young people have lost basic skills, i.e. growing food, using hand tools, self-defence; instead they rely on AI, Goggle and virtual reality.

Sometimes I really wonder if electricity is one of the greatest invention for humanity. Humans have survived for thousands of years without electricity, yet we cannot live without the digital world. In most cases, we have become the slave of modern technology.